Local Plan 2011-2031 Proposed Submission Draft

3.ii Soundness

Positively prepared

The Preferred Options document was open to public consultation between Dec 2014 and Jan 2015. Site KB4 (the land to the East of Knebworth) was not included in that document. This is, therefore, the first time that local residents and the school have had the opportunity of seeing, and commenting on, the planned KB4 development

The North Herts Local Plan is for an increase of 598 new homes in Knebworth plus a further 65 homes which have already been granted planning permission. This is a 31% increase in the size of the village. For development of more than 500 houses (what NHDC call a 'Strategic Housing Site') they require a Strategic Policy. Whilst none of the individual proposed sites around the outskirts of Knebworth meet this threshold, collectively they do.

Additional development is proposed in the Local Plans of adjacent district councils of Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield (at Woolmer Green). All of the proposed sites will impact on the infrastructure of the village. I have outlined, in section 4 below, some of the infrastructure requirements that directly affect the school which appear have been overlooked.
The failure to have an integrated Strategic Policy for Knebworth is clear evidence that the Plan has not been positively prepared.

Effective

1. Infrastructure

Schools

Additional primary school place provision is an obvious requirement should the proposed development proceed. This has been acknowledged in the Plan
Section 13.191 says, site KB2 will provide an additional primary school in the West of Knebworth. This was a reasonable approach in the preferred options document of 2014/15, when KB4 was not included in the development proposals, However, now that KB4 is in the final version of the Local Plan, this does not make sense.

It is my considered opinion that Primary schooling in Knebworth is not best delivered from 2 separate sites, so far apart. It is unlikely that from an effectiveness and efficiency aspect, 2 separate primary schools, requiring separate management and administration teams, could be justified.
Also, if you have 2 sites with the separation proposed, if you can imagine a parent with a child in each site, which is a likelihood, dropping children off at their respective schools at the same time. Difficult without a fast car!
This would do little encourage parents to walk with their children to school. This would not be sustainable and do little to ease the traffic and parking problems.

So the additional school should be as close as possible to the existing site.

In the current Local Plan, land adjacent to the existing school site, KB4, is now proposed for development. Surely, if the developments proceed, it would be better if the additional primary school were adjacent to the existing school. This would appear to be possible, but has not been considered.

In addition, there is no additional provision for school spaces for the 150 houses proposed for Woolmer Green. The current school site at Woolmer Green has no space for additional classrooms and is at capacity. The location of their proposed housing development is North of Woolmer Green and South of Knebworth, but within walking distance of the current school and would, I believe fall into our catchment area.

Roads and Footways

Traffic and parking are significant problems in the vicinity of the school, particularly when parents are dropping off and picking up children from school. This adds to the delays in the High Street and joining roads and creates hazardous situations for pedestrians crossing at the road junctions.
Swangleys Lane often becomes impassable for wider vehicles, due to parents parking their cars.
Swangleys Lane is not wide enough to cope with the traffic that would result from the new development
There are no footways on Old Lane, Swangleys Lane or St Martins Road for much of their length.
There are no safe drop off or pick up points adjacent to the school. Perhaps the local Plan could provide this facility ?

One of the main pedestrian routes, for parents and children on the west side of the railway to get to the school, is by the Station Road bridge footway. The footway is approximately 1 metre wide over the 52 metre length of the underbridge. This is insufficient for 2 people to pass without 1 person stepping in to the road.
The current situation for pedestrians is unsafe.

This is not an exhaustive list. In the event that development proceeds in accordance with the Local Plan, all of the the infrastructure needs should be addressed

Safeguarding and KB4

Safeguarding the children attending Knebworth school is our highest priority.
Governors, staff and parents have expressed concerns previously about new developments overlooking the school playing fields. This is currently a particularly sensitive issue. The school has no control of who lives in these developments and whether they have been assessed through the Disclosure and Debarring Service.
KB4 would appear to overlook the School Playing Fields. If the development of KB4 proceeds the school would want assurance that the design of the buildings will prevent or significantly reduce the incidence of oversight of the School Playing Fields.

3.ii Soundness

Positively prepared

The Preferred Options document was open to public consultation between Dec 2014 and Jan 2015. Site KB4 (the land to the East of Knebworth) was not included in that document. This is, therefore, the first time that local residents and the school have had the opportunity of seeing, and commenting on, the planned KB4 development

The North Herts Local Plan is for an increase of 598 new homes in Knebworth plus a further 65 homes which have already been granted planning permission. This is a 31% increase in the size of the village. For development of more than 500 houses (what NHDC call a 'Strategic Housing Site') they require a Strategic Policy. Whilst none of the individual proposed sites around the outskirts of Knebworth meet this threshold, collectively they do.

Additional development is proposed in the Local Plans of adjacent district councils of Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield (at Woolmer Green). All of the proposed sites will impact on the infrastructure of the village. I have outlined, in section 4 below, some of the infrastructure requirements that directly affect the school which appear have been overlooked.
The failure to have an integrated Strategic Policy for Knebworth is clear evidence that the Plan has not been positively prepared.

Effective

1. Infrastructure

Schools

Additional primary school place provision is an obvious requirement should the proposed development proceed. This has been acknowledged in the Plan
Section 13.191 says, site KB2 will provide an additional primary school in the West of Knebworth. This was a reasonable approach in the preferred options document of 2014/15, when KB4 was not included in the development proposals, However, now that KB4 is in the final version of the Local Plan, this does not make sense.

It is my considered opinion that Primary schooling in Knebworth is not best delivered from 2 separate sites, so far apart. It is unlikely that from an effectiveness and efficiency aspect, 2 separate primary schools, requiring separate management and administration teams, could be justified.
Also, if you have 2 sites with the separation proposed, if you can imagine a parent with a child in each site, which is a likelihood, dropping children off at their respective schools at the same time. Difficult without a fast car!
This would do little encourage parents to walk with their children to school. This would not be sustainable and do little to ease the traffic and parking problems.

So the additional school should be as close as possible to the existing site.

In the current Local Plan, land adjacent to the existing school site, KB4, is now proposed for development. Surely, if the developments proceed, it would be better if the additional primary school were adjacent to the existing school. This would appear to be possible, but has not been considered.

In addition, there is no additional provision for school spaces for the 150 houses proposed for Woolmer Green. The current school site at Woolmer Green has no space for additional classrooms and is at capacity. The location of their proposed housing development is North of Woolmer Green and South of Knebworth, but within walking distance of the current school and would, I believe fall into our catchment area.

Roads and Footways

Traffic and parking are significant problems in the vicinity of the school, particularly when parents are dropping off and picking up children from school. This adds to the delays in the High Street and joining roads and creates hazardous situations for pedestrians crossing at the road junctions.
Swangleys Lane often becomes impassable for wider vehicles, due to parents parking their cars.
Swangleys Lane is not wide enough to cope with the traffic that would result from the new development
There are no footways on Old Lane, Swangleys Lane or St Martins Road for much of their length.
There are no safe drop off or pick up points adjacent to the school. Perhaps the local Plan could provide this facility ?

One of the main pedestrian routes, for parents and children on the west side of the railway to get to the school, is by the Station Road bridge footway. The footway is approximately 1 metre wide over the 52 metre length of the underbridge. This is insufficient for 2 people to pass without 1 person stepping in to the road.
The current situation for pedestrians is unsafe.

This is not an exhaustive list. In the event that development proceeds in accordance with the Local Plan, all of the the infrastructure needs should be addressed

Safeguarding and KB4

Safeguarding the children attending Knebworth school is our highest priority.
Governors, staff and parents have expressed concerns previously about new developments overlooking the school playing fields. This is currently a particularly sensitive issue. The school has no control of who lives in these developments and whether they have been assessed through the Disclosure and Debarring Service.
KB4 would appear to overlook the School Playing Fields. If the development of KB4 proceeds the school would want assurance that the design of the buildings will prevent or significantly reduce the incidence of oversight of the School Playing Fields.

3.ii Soundness

Positively prepared

The Preferred Options document was open to public consultation between Dec 2014 and Jan 2015. Site KB4 (the land to the East of Knebworth) was not included in that document. This is, therefore, the first time that local residents and the school have had the opportunity of seeing, and commenting on, the planned KB4 development

The North Herts Local Plan is for an increase of 598 new homes in Knebworth plus a further 65 homes which have already been granted planning permission. This is a 31% increase in the size of the village. For development of more than 500 houses (what NHDC call a 'Strategic Housing Site') they require a Strategic Policy. Whilst none of the individual proposed sites around the outskirts of Knebworth meet this threshold, collectively they do.

Additional development is proposed in the Local Plans of adjacent district councils of Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield (at Woolmer Green). All of the proposed sites will impact on the infrastructure of the village. I have outlined, in section 4 below, some of the infrastructure requirements that directly affect the school which appear have been overlooked.
The failure to have an integrated Strategic Policy for Knebworth is clear evidence that the Plan has not been positively prepared.

Effective

1. Infrastructure

Schools

Additional primary school place provision is an obvious requirement should the proposed development proceed. This has been acknowledged in the Plan
Section 13.191 says, site KB2 will provide an additional primary school in the West of Knebworth. This was a reasonable approach in the preferred options document of 2014/15, when KB4 was not included in the development proposals, However, now that KB4 is in the final version of the Local Plan, this does not make sense.

It is my considered opinion that Primary schooling in Knebworth is not best delivered from 2 separate sites, so far apart. It is unlikely that from an effectiveness and efficiency aspect, 2 separate primary schools, requiring separate management and administration teams, could be justified.
Also, if you have 2 sites with the separation proposed, if you can imagine a parent with a child in each site, which is a likelihood, dropping children off at their respective schools at the same time. Difficult without a fast car!
This would do little encourage parents to walk with their children to school. This would not be sustainable and do little to ease the traffic and parking problems.

So the additional school should be as close as possible to the existing site.

In the current Local Plan, land adjacent to the existing school site, KB4, is now proposed for development. Surely, if the developments proceed, it would be better if the additional primary school were adjacent to the existing school. This would appear to be possible, but has not been considered.

In addition, there is no additional provision for school spaces for the 150 houses proposed for Woolmer Green. The current school site at Woolmer Green has no space for additional classrooms and is at capacity. The location of their proposed housing development is North of Woolmer Green and South of Knebworth, but within walking distance of the current school and would, I believe fall into our catchment area.

Roads and Footways

Traffic and parking are significant problems in the vicinity of the school, particularly when parents are dropping off and picking up children from school. This adds to the delays in the High Street and joining roads and creates hazardous situations for pedestrians crossing at the road junctions.
Swangleys Lane often becomes impassable for wider vehicles, due to parents parking their cars.
Swangleys Lane is not wide enough to cope with the traffic that would result from the new development
There are no footways on Old Lane, Swangleys Lane or St Martins Road for much of their length.
There are no safe drop off or pick up points adjacent to the school. Perhaps the local Plan could provide this facility ?

One of the main pedestrian routes, for parents and children on the west side of the railway to get to the school, is by the Station Road bridge footway. The footway is approximately 1 metre wide over the 52 metre length of the underbridge. This is insufficient for 2 people to pass without 1 person stepping in to the road.
The current situation for pedestrians is unsafe.

This is not an exhaustive list. In the event that development proceeds in accordance with the Local Plan, all of the the infrastructure needs should be addressed

Safeguarding and KB4

Safeguarding the children attending Knebworth school is our highest priority.
Governors, staff and parents have expressed concerns previously about new developments overlooking the school playing fields. This is currently a particularly sensitive issue. The school has no control of who lives in these developments and whether they have been assessed through the Disclosure and Debarring Service.
KB4 would appear to overlook the School Playing Fields. If the development of KB4 proceeds the school would want assurance that the design of the buildings will prevent or significantly reduce the incidence of oversight of the School Playing Fields.

3.ii Soundness

Positively prepared

The Preferred Options document was open to public consultation between Dec 2014 and Jan 2015. Site KB4 (the land to the East of Knebworth) was not included in that document. This is, therefore, the first time that local residents and the school have had the opportunity of seeing, and commenting on, the planned KB4 development

The North Herts Local Plan is for an increase of 598 new homes in Knebworth plus a further 65 homes which have already been granted planning permission. This is a 31% increase in the size of the village. For development of more than 500 houses (what NHDC call a 'Strategic Housing Site') they require a Strategic Policy. Whilst none of the individual proposed sites around the outskirts of Knebworth meet this threshold, collectively they do.

Additional development is proposed in the Local Plans of adjacent district councils of Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield (at Woolmer Green). All of the proposed sites will impact on the infrastructure of the village. I have outlined, in section 4 below, some of the infrastructure requirements that directly affect the school which appear have been overlooked.
The failure to have an integrated Strategic Policy for Knebworth is clear evidence that the Plan has not been positively prepared.

Effective

1. Infrastructure

Schools

Additional primary school place provision is an obvious requirement should the proposed development proceed. This has been acknowledged in the Plan
Section 13.191 says, site KB2 will provide an additional primary school in the West of Knebworth. This was a reasonable approach in the preferred options document of 2014/15, when KB4 was not included in the development proposals, However, now that KB4 is in the final version of the Local Plan, this does not make sense.

It is my considered opinion that Primary schooling in Knebworth is not best delivered from 2 separate sites, so far apart. It is unlikely that from an effectiveness and efficiency aspect, 2 separate primary schools, requiring separate management and administration teams, could be justified.
Also, if you have 2 sites with the separation proposed, if you can imagine a parent with a child in each site, which is a likelihood, dropping children off at their respective schools at the same time. Difficult without a fast car!
This would do little encourage parents to walk with their children to school. This would not be sustainable and do little to ease the traffic and parking problems.

So the additional school should be as close as possible to the existing site.

In the current Local Plan, land adjacent to the existing school site, KB4, is now proposed for development. Surely, if the developments proceed, it would be better if the additional primary school were adjacent to the existing school. This would appear to be possible, but has not been considered.

In addition, there is no additional provision for school spaces for the 150 houses proposed for Woolmer Green. The current school site at Woolmer Green has no space for additional classrooms and is at capacity. The location of their proposed housing development is North of Woolmer Green and South of Knebworth, but within walking distance of the current school and would, I believe fall into our catchment area.

Roads and Footways

Traffic and parking are significant problems in the vicinity of the school, particularly when parents are dropping off and picking up children from school. This adds to the delays in the High Street and joining roads and creates hazardous situations for pedestrians crossing at the road junctions.
Swangleys Lane often becomes impassable for wider vehicles, due to parents parking their cars.
Swangleys Lane is not wide enough to cope with the traffic that would result from the new development
There are no footways on Old Lane, Swangleys Lane or St Martins Road for much of their length.
There are no safe drop off or pick up points adjacent to the school. Perhaps the local Plan could provide this facility ?

One of the main pedestrian routes, for parents and children on the west side of the railway to get to the school, is by the Station Road bridge footway. The footway is approximately 1 metre wide over the 52 metre length of the underbridge. This is insufficient for 2 people to pass without 1 person stepping in to the road.
The current situation for pedestrians is unsafe.

This is not an exhaustive list. In the event that development proceeds in accordance with the Local Plan, all of the the infrastructure needs should be addressed

Safeguarding and KB4

Safeguarding the children attending Knebworth school is our highest priority.
Governors, staff and parents have expressed concerns previously about new developments overlooking the school playing fields. This is currently a particularly sensitive issue. The school has no control of who lives in these developments and whether they have been assessed through the Disclosure and Debarring Service.
KB4 would appear to overlook the School Playing Fields. If the development of KB4 proceeds the school would want assurance that the design of the buildings will prevent or significantly reduce the incidence of oversight of the School Playing Fields.

3.ii Soundness

Positively prepared

The Preferred Options document was open to public consultation between Dec 2014 and Jan 2015. Site KB4 (the land to the East of Knebworth) was not included in that document. This is, therefore, the first time that local residents and the school have had the opportunity of seeing, and commenting on, the planned KB4 development

The North Herts Local Plan is for an increase of 598 new homes in Knebworth plus a further 65 homes which have already been granted planning permission. This is a 31% increase in the size of the village. For development of more than 500 houses (what NHDC call a 'Strategic Housing Site') they require a Strategic Policy. Whilst none of the individual proposed sites around the outskirts of Knebworth meet this threshold, collectively they do.

Additional development is proposed in the Local Plans of adjacent district councils of Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield (at Woolmer Green). All of the proposed sites will impact on the infrastructure of the village. I have outlined, in section 4 below, some of the infrastructure requirements that directly affect the school which appear have been overlooked.
The failure to have an integrated Strategic Policy for Knebworth is clear evidence that the Plan has not been positively prepared.

Effective

1. Infrastructure

Schools

Additional primary school place provision is an obvious requirement should the proposed development proceed. This has been acknowledged in the Plan
Section 13.191 says, site KB2 will provide an additional primary school in the West of Knebworth. This was a reasonable approach in the preferred options document of 2014/15, when KB4 was not included in the development proposals, However, now that KB4 is in the final version of the Local Plan, this does not make sense.

It is my considered opinion that Primary schooling in Knebworth is not best delivered from 2 separate sites, so far apart. It is unlikely that from an effectiveness and efficiency aspect, 2 separate primary schools, requiring separate management and administration teams, could be justified.
Also, if you have 2 sites with the separation proposed, if you can imagine a parent with a child in each site, which is a likelihood, dropping children off at their respective schools at the same time. Difficult without a fast car!
This would do little encourage parents to walk with their children to school. This would not be sustainable and do little to ease the traffic and parking problems.

So the additional school should be as close as possible to the existing site.

In the current Local Plan, land adjacent to the existing school site, KB4, is now proposed for development. Surely, if the developments proceed, it would be better if the additional primary school were adjacent to the existing school. This would appear to be possible, but has not been considered.

In addition, there is no additional provision for school spaces for the 150 houses proposed for Woolmer Green. The current school site at Woolmer Green has no space for additional classrooms and is at capacity. The location of their proposed housing development is North of Woolmer Green and South of Knebworth, but within walking distance of the current school and would, I believe fall into our catchment area.

Roads and Footways

Traffic and parking are significant problems in the vicinity of the school, particularly when parents are dropping off and picking up children from school. This adds to the delays in the High Street and joining roads and creates hazardous situations for pedestrians crossing at the road junctions.
Swangleys Lane often becomes impassable for wider vehicles, due to parents parking their cars.
Swangleys Lane is not wide enough to cope with the traffic that would result from the new development
There are no footways on Old Lane, Swangleys Lane or St Martins Road for much of their length.
There are no safe drop off or pick up points adjacent to the school. Perhaps the local Plan could provide this facility ?

One of the main pedestrian routes, for parents and children on the west side of the railway to get to the school, is by the Station Road bridge footway. The footway is approximately 1 metre wide over the 52 metre length of the underbridge. This is insufficient for 2 people to pass without 1 person stepping in to the road.
The current situation for pedestrians is unsafe.

This is not an exhaustive list. In the event that development proceeds in accordance with the Local Plan, all of the the infrastructure needs should be addressed

Safeguarding and KB4

Safeguarding the children attending Knebworth school is our highest priority.
Governors, staff and parents have expressed concerns previously about new developments overlooking the school playing fields. This is currently a particularly sensitive issue. The school has no control of who lives in these developments and whether they have been assessed through the Disclosure and Debarring Service.
KB4 would appear to overlook the School Playing Fields. If the development of KB4 proceeds the school would want assurance that the design of the buildings will prevent or significantly reduce the incidence of oversight of the School Playing Fields.